Folding embalming-table.



.N.o.-806,6l3. PAIENTED DE0.5,1905." 0. 0. ALDRICH.

v FOLDING -EMBA LMING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED 3.3.1905.

2 SEEETSSHEBT 1.

No, 806,613. PATENTBD. DEC. 5, 1905.

c. c. 'ALD'RIGH.

FOLDING EMBALMING TABLE. I

' APPLIOATION 31mm- APR. s, 1905.

- UNITED STATES, OFFICE.

COURTNEY c. ALDRICH, OF WEBSTER GROVESQMISSIOU'RI, ASSIGNOR on ONE-HALFTO WILLIAM J. PARKER, OF GROVES, MISSOURI.

' FOLDING EMBALMlNG-TAiB L- E.

To all whom it may concern:

ster Groves, in the county of St. Louis and State .of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingEmbalming-Tables, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part ofv this specification.

My invention relates to a folding ernbalrn- 'ing-table that may bereadily folded into compact condition to be carried from place to placeand which is susceptible of being extended to the proper length forutility as a table and when so extended constitutes a strong, eflicient,and light structure that is of g the greatest efliciency.

Figure I is a perspective view of my table in unfolded and extendedcondition. Fig; II is a vertical transverse section taken on line II 11,Fig. I. Fig. III is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line IIIIII, Fig. I.

Fig. IV is an enlarged side view of parts of the sections of mytableshown in the ,positions they assume when the tableis being folded.Fig.- V is an enlarged side View,

partly broken away, of fragments of the central and foot sections of thetable and the members controlling the movementof the foot-section withrespect to the central secsection, central section, and foot-sectionofmy table. The head-section A consists of a frame composed of siderails 1, an outer end rail 2, an inner end rail 3, and the transversebar 4:, located intermediate of said end rails and connecting the siderails. The central section B consists of a frame comprising side rails5, end rails 6 and 6, and transverse bars 7 locatedintermediate of theend rails and connectingthe side rails. The foot-section C consists ofside rails 8, an inner end rail 9, an outer end rail 10, and a transframe-sections, constructed as described, pref Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed April 8, 1905. Serial N0.253,686.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

erably have applied to them covering-sheets Be it known that I, COURTNEYC. ALDRICH, .a citizen of the United States, residing in Web- 12,thatmay be -of any desirable material. Thehead-se'ction A is connectedto the central section B by hinges 13, (see Figs. III, IV, and IX,)which are applied to and unite the end rails 3 and 6 of said sections attheir lower sides, thereby'permitting swinging movement of the sectionAwith respect to the section B. The central section B and foot-section Oare not directly connected to each other; but the foot-section isswingingly united to the central section and shifted relative thereto bymeans to be hereinafter described.

1 1 designates levers or lever-plates secured to the sides of thehead-rail side bars 1 and provided with ears 15. (See Figs. 1- to III,inclusive, and Fig. IX.)

l6 designates hinge-leaves secured to the under sides of thehead-section side rails and through which and said ears 15 are passedhinge-bolts 17.

l8 designates throw-rods, each having one of its ends fitted to thehinge-bolt 17 to provide longitudinal thrust of said throw-rods when thehead-section A is swung upon its hinges 13 with respect to the centralsection B, so that said rods are projected longitudinally of the centralsection B and toward the foot-section (1 when the table-sections arebeing folded.

. 19 designates guard-plates secured to the central-section side'rails 5at their ends'which face the side rails of the head-section, theseguard-plates" being arranged to lap over'the throw-rods 18, due to theirbeing provided with tongues 19 when the table is in extended position,as seen in Fig. I. Theguard-plates also serve as braces for the levers14, which abut thereagainst when the sections are unfold ed. I

ed to the hinge-plates 23 by pivot-bolts 25.

These shift-bars extend from the hinge-plate 23 into positions betweenthe central-section legs 32, which is likewise permitted by the siderails 5 and the guide-plates 20, as seen in Figs. IV to VII, inclusive,and they are united to the throw-rods 18 by links 26 and 27, to the endsof which the throw-rod and shift-bar are pivoted at 28 and 29. The outerlinks 26 are in each instance positioned within the slot 21 of theguide-plate 20 to ride therein and direct the travel of said links, andconsequently the movement of the throw-rods 18 and the shift-bars 24.The links 26 and 27 are held separated by a parting-block 30 and areunited to each other by pins 31, that pass through said links and saidblock.

When the sections A, B, and C are to be folded to each other from theunfolded and extended condition in which said parts are shown in Fig. I,the section A is first swung upon its hinges 13, and as it is so swungthe levers 14, carried by said section, are moved in the arcs ofcircles, thereby carrying the-hingebolts 17, that connect the throw-rods18 to said levers in corresponding arcs of circles. As the section A ismoved-from a position in alinement with the section B the levers 14 actupon the throw-rods 1-8 to impart longitudinal thrust thereto in adirection toward the foot of the table, thereby causing the links 26 and27 to move in a corresponding direction while the links 26 ride in theguiding-slots 21 of the guide-plates 20. As the links 26 and 27 advancethey impart longitudinal thrust to the shift-bars 24, thereby carryingthe footsection G into position remote from the opposing end of thecentral section B. The movement of the head-section A is continued untilsaid head-section is carried into the position seen in dotted lines,Fig. IV, when it lies flatly against the under side of the centralsectionB. At this time the throw-rods 18 are carried into alinement withthe sections A and B and the shift-bars 24 are so positioned beyond thebottom guide-plate 22 that they may be swung upon their pivotal points29, at which they are connected to the links 26 and 27. The foot-sectionC is then swung in the arc of a circle and turns upon the shiftbars 24as pivot members, the movement of said foot-section being continueduntil it lies flatly against the head-section A, as seen in dottedlines, Fig. IV.

32 designates supporting-legs forming a 1 part of the table and by whichthe head and foot sections are supported when in extended or unfoldedcondition, these legs being united to each other by cross-bars 33.

'34 designates braces the ends of which are connected by hinges 35 tothe cross-bars 33 and the outer end rails of the head and foot sectionsA and C.

36'designates links each having one of its ends pivoted to a head orfoot section side rail and its other end pivoted to an adjacentsupporting-leg 32 at the upper end of said leg. These links permitswinging motion of the braces 34. When the legs are in unfoldedcondition, as seen in Figs. I to III, inclusive, their upper ends restbeneath the cross-bars 4 and 11 of the head and foot sections and thelegs are stayed by the braces 34. For the purpose of holding the legsfrom movement while in such position I utilize catch-rods 37, the lowerends of which are fixed to the legconnecting cross-bars 33 and the upperends of which are bent at an angle to form hooks 38, which enter intoeyes 39, seated in the lower sides of the head and foot sectioncrossbars, as seen most clearly in Figs. II and III. When the legs 32are to be folded, the catchrods 37 are released from the eyes 39. Thelegs are then swung longitudinally away from the head and foot sectioncross bars and caused to turn upon the links 36 as pivot members untilsaid links are in alinelnent with the legs. The legs are then movedinwardly by swinging upon the braces 34 as fulcrum members. Vhile thelinks are again swinging backwardly toward positions in which they willbe in alinement with the head and foot sections the legs are carriedinwardly into positions at the lower sides of the head and footsections, so that they will fit snugly thereto while the sections are infolded condition. The movement of the legs is indicated by the arrows,Fig. III.

40 is a head and shoulder supporting frame connected to the inner endrail of the headsection A by hinges 41, the outer end of said framebeing free of connection to said section. This head and shouldersupporting frame is adapted to be elevated into the position seen indotted lines, Fig. III, and suitably propped in such position as usualin connection with embalming-tables.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a folding embalming-table, thecombination of a central section, an end section hinged to said centralsection, a second end section free of direct connection to said centralsection, and throw-rods connecting said end sections and arranged toshift said second end section toward and away from said central sectionwhen said first-named end section is unfolded and folded, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of a central section,an end section hinged to said central section, a second end section freeof direct connection to said central section, throw-rods having leverageconnection with said first-named end section, and means connecting saidthrow-rods and said second end section whereby said second end sectionis shifted toward and away from said central section and permitted topartake of swinging movement with respect to said central section whensaid first-named end section is swung with respect to said centralsection, substantially as set forth.

3. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of acentral section, anend section hinged to said central section, levers carried by said endsection, throw-rods pivoted to said levers, a second end section free ofdirect connection with said central section, and means whereby saidsecond end section is swingingly connected to said throw-rods,substantially as set forth.

4. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of a central section,an end section hinged to said central section, levers carried by saidend section, throw-rods pivoted to said levers, a second end sectionfree of direct connection with said central section, means Whereby saidsecond end section is swingingly connected to said throw-rods, andmeansfor directing the movement of said throw-rods, substantially assetforth.

5. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of a central section,an end section hinged to said central section. levers carried by saidend section, throw-rods pivoted to said levers, a second end sectionfree of direct connection with said central section, means whereby saidsecond end section is'swinginglyconnected to said throw-rods, andguide-plates secured to said central section and serving to direct themovement of said throw-rods, substantially as set forth.

6. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of a central section,an end section hinged to said central section, levers securedto said endsection, th row-rods pivoted'to said levers, a second end section freeof direct connection to said central section, shift-bars unit ing saidthrow-rods and said second end sec tion, and means for directing themovement of said throw-rods, substantially as set forth.

7. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of a central section,an end section hinged to said central section, levers secured to saidend section, throw-rods-pivoted to said levers, guide plates secured tosaid central section, slide-links pivoted .to said throw-rods andarranged to operate in said guide-plates, a second end section free ofdirect connection to said central section, and shift-bars pivoted tosaid slide-links and to said second end section, substantially as setforth.

8. In a folding embalming-table, the combination of a central section,an end section hinged to said central section, levers secured to saidend section, throw-rodspivoted to said levers, guide-plates secured tosaid central section, slide-links pivoted to said throw-rods andarranged to operate in said guide-plates, a second end section free ofdirect connection to said central section, shift-bars pivoted to' saidslide-links and to said second end section, and guard-plates secured tosaid central section and arranged to overlap said throw-rods adjacent tosaid first-named end section. when said sections are in alinement witheach other, substantially as set'forth.

9. In a folding embalming-table, the combination with thetable-sections, of supporting-legs, links swingingly connecting saidlegs to the sides of said sections, and braces having hinged connectionwith said legs and with the ends of said sections, substantially as setforth.

'10. In a folding embalming-table, the combination with thetable-sections, 'of supporting-legs, links swingingly connecting saidlegs to the sldes of said sections, braces having hinged connection withsaid legs and with the ends of sald sections, and catch-rods carried lCOURTNEY o. ALDRICH.

In presence of BLANOHE HOGAN, M. P. SMITH.

